A teenager in Michigan already standing 7 feet 8 inches tall is growing at the rate of six inches per year — and could soon become the world’s tallest man.

Broc Brown, 19, suffers from Sotos syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by excessive growth during the first years of life that continues into the early teens, Barcroft Media reports. Symptoms of the disorder include a disproportionately large head, large hands and feet and down-slanting eyes, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

While Sotos syndrome is generally not a life-threatening disorder, Brown’s mother initially was told he wouldn’t live beyond his teens. However, doctors are now confident he’ll have a normal lifespan.

“It’s the best thing I could have heard,” Brown told Barcroft. “I’m so happy that I will live for a long time.”

Brown also suffers from learning difficulties, curvature of the spine and narrowing of the spinal cord. He was also born with only one kidney and cannot take painkillers despite living in near-constant pain.

“It kind of feels like a big tennis racket has gone through my back,” he told Barcroft. “I just wish the doctors could do something to help my pain.”

Broc Brown at his grandmother’s house in Jackson, Mich., on Jan. 22.Barcroft

Brown was already 5 feet 2 inches in kindergarten, his mother said. He also needs to have shoes custom-made for his size 28 feet and requires an 8-foot-long bed.

Broc Brown (left) at age 3Barcroft

Brown recently visited doctors at Arkansas Children’s Hospital to meet with a specialist, who told him he should have a regular lifespan.

Broc Brown with his grandmother Joy Moss (left) and his mother, Darci Moss Elliot, in Jackson, Mich., on Jan. 22.Barcroft